Brassieres



B. COLEMAN Er AL 2,888,930

June 2, 1959 BRASSIERES Filed Aug. 1. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 BRASSIERES B. COLEMAN ET AL `une 2, 1959 Filed Aug. l, 1957 June 2, 1959 B. CLEMAN ErAL 2,888,930

BRASSIERES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. l, 1957 ld/m:

BY mm 2.4 f/fiw ATTORNEY June 2, 1959 B. COLEMAN ETAL 2,888,930

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= iannnnnn le' tif WMI-J Pioli' W ATTORNEY United States Patent O BRAssIEREs leatrice Coleman, New York, and Raymond Pioli, Floral Park,- N.Y.', and Ernest Silvani, Roselle, NJ., assignors to Maiden Form Brassiere lCo., Inc., a corporation of New York Application August 1, 1957, Serial No. 675,664

4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-429) The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a veiw n front elevation showing embodying the invention. n

Vv'1i`ig..2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

a brassiere of a modification,

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edge at 6H, so that the major width of each band 6 is at its line of connection Awith its appropriate cup.

From the above description it will be seen that the two bands 5 Iand l6 are joined for like action at thebottom margin of the garment. However they are preferably joined at a second area, as now'to be described: Each cup, at its top, is adjustably connected to a shoulder strap 8, the adjustment in the present embodimentv being by means of !a buckle 9 held to the top of the appropriate cup by a loop 10, as best shown in Fig. 6. The outer end of the strap 8 is, in each case, stitched not only to band 6 but it extends downward sufficiently to have an end area under band 5 and to which it is stitched. Thus the two shoulder straps are used each las a medium for connecting bands 5 and 6 together near their outer ends,

,. and the pull of the straps is communicated to each of the bands. I

1n the modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7 the invention is applied to a long-line brassiere, particularly adapted for heavier ligures. The cups, inner marginal members and fabric centre piece, lare the same as in the preceding figures and hence bear the same reference numerals 1, Sand 2 respectively. Inasmuch as the garment of said figures Vis long line fabric piece is elongated and is stitched between two preferably-inelastic inserts 9, which in turn are stitched to front elastic panels Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig.

10, the major stretch of the latter being longitudinally of the garment. At each outer side of the two panels '10 is an elongated'bland which has its lower margin in line with the lower margins of the fabric pieces 9. This A. elongated band in the present embodiment is made up of Referring to Figs. l, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawing it will y' i' be seen that the brassiere therein shown consists of two identical sections joined between the cups 1 by a centre fabric piece 2, preferably inelastic and wedge shaped, and by fabric members 3, one at each inner cup margin, these members being joined by stitching to the diagonal top edges of fabric piece 2.

'I'he cups 1 may be of any desired construction, and each cup at its curved lower margin is seamed to a front band 4, the two front bands being stitched to centre fabric piece 2 and hemmed at their lower margins. Members 3 are stretchable transversely and members `4 preferably have stretch vertically of the garment.

To the outer side of each cup 1 and bottom band 4 is stitched an elongated band 5, which has its lower margin coterminous with the appropriate center band 4, which carries one of two co-acting interengaging devices, hooks Iand eyes exemplifying such devices, and which rises from a short Vertical end in a gradual curve to the top of its appropriate cup. Thus there will be two elongated bands, one at each side of the garment and of such length and formation as to act upon both the pectoral and dorsal muscles of the wearer. Although the bands 5 may be in one piece, as illustrated, they may be made by two end-connected pieces, if desired. They are made of elastic material having longitudinal stretch.

Inwardly of the garment and stitched to the outer margin of each appropriate cup is an inner elastic band 6, having its major stretch longitudinally. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings each band 6 has its lower margin meeting the lower margin of band 5, and the two bands at that area are stitched together by the line of stitching indicated at 7.

Each band 6 at its outer end rises with an inclined edge at 6x whiclrmerges into an upwardly inclined top two members 11 and 12, and these members, hence the band as a whole, will be stretchable longitudinally of the garment.

, Each band is of la length (referring to the two bands, each made up of members 11 and .12) sufficient to'act upon the pectoral and dorsal muscles of the wearer and to interconnect at their outer ends, as for example by hooks and eyes. The ends of said band preferably are slightly tapered outwardly, and they are formed, in each case, with an upper margin which is curved upwardly until it reaches the top of the appropriate cup. At 14 is a line of stitching which connects said composite or otherwise elastic band (panels 11 and 12) to the appropriate cup and to the appropriate elastic center band 10. Of course the two outermost elastic bands just described will be of a length to extend across the back of the wearer and to interconnect at the centre of the back.

As in the structure of the preceding Figures 1 to 3 and 6, the modified garment, inwardly thereof, carries outwardly of each cup a second elongated elastic band 15, and which is of the same formation and co-action with band 12 as in the case of the earlier described bands 5 and 6 of Figs. l to 3 and 5. To each cup 1 of the structure thus modified and as shown in Figs. 4 and 7 is secured at its top a buckle 16 which adjustably receives one end area of a shoulder strap the other end of which is stitched to the outer top area of band 15 and which extends downwardly and under band 12 for a distance sutiicient for the stitches to connect both bands 11 and 15 for the coaction which has been described with reference to Figs. l to 3 and 6 las to the structure therein shown.

It will be noted that the outer and inner elongated elastic bands are each connected at their inner ends to front bands or panels of the garment independently of the breast cups, and that inwardly of the cups and extending from their cup-top centre line to the front bottom line an inelastic, or substantially inelastic, frame is provided for each cup so far as vertical elongation is concerned. Both bands extend to the outer edges of the garment for mutual interconnection of the two pairs of bands directly by fastening devices such as hooks and eyes or snap-fastenings; and the pull of the shoulder straps at their rear ends is directly upon both of the said elongated bands. For augmenting the improvement in better coaction of the elongated bands they are s eamed together at their bottom edges in the embodiment shown in Pigs.`1 to 3 and 6.

I-Iaving described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letter Patent is as follows:

l. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups having inner framing means and front cup-underlying panels in combination with two pairs of elongated side bands, one innermost and one outermost, which are longitudinally elastic and substantially inelastic vertically, the bands of each pair being substantially longitudinally co-extensive and each being stitched to both the outer margin of a cup and to one of said front cup-underlying panels, each outermost elongated band at its upper margin rising from an outer end of the garment in an upward sweep, eX- tend to at least the top centre of an appropriate cup, the bands of each pair being stitched together between their outer ends and the cups one band being stitched at its lower longitudinal margin to the second band, the bands overlapping with the width of overlap greatest at the jointure With a cup, at the base of which jointure the bands meet substantially the same horizontal line, and fastening means carried at the ends of the pairs of elongated bands for securing them together at the back centre of a wearer.

2. A brassiere constructed in accordance with claim l, in which the inner framing means for the cups is substantially inelastic vertically and the front panels are substantially inelastic longitudinally, and the bands of each pair of elongated bands are stitched together intermediate the appropriate cup and the outer end of the outermost elongated band.

3. A brassiere constructed in accordance with claim 1, in combination with a pair of shoulder straps, one for,

and having one end connected to, the top of an appropriate cup and having its other kend stitched to both of 4 A the elongated bands of a pair thereof and connecting them together.

4. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups having inner framing means and front cup-underlying panels in 5 combination with two pairs of elongated side bands, one innermost and one outermost, which are longitudinally elastic and substantially inelastic vertically, the bands of each pair being substantially longitudinally co-extensive and each being stitched to both the outer margin of a cup and to one of said front cup-underlying panels, each outermost elongated band fat its upper margin rising from an outer end of the garment in an upward sweep, extending to at least the top centre of an appropriate cup, the bands of each pair being stitched together between their outer ends and the cups, and one band being stitched at its lower longitudinal margin to the second band, the bands overlapping with the width of overlap greatest at the jointure with a cup, at the base of which jointure the bansd meet substantially the same horizontal line, fastening means `carried -at the ends of thepairs of elongated'bands for 'securing them together at the back centre of a wearer, in combination with a pair of shoulder straps, one for, and having one end connected to, the top of an appropriate c up and having its other end stitched to' both of the elongated bands of a pair thereof and connecting them together, and each outermost elongated band, the upper margin of which extends in an upward sweep to the top of an appropriate cup and extends downwardly -substantially below the bottom line of the inner elongated band.

Y References Cited in the le of this 4patent` A t i UNITEDV STATES PATENTS A "2,048,531 Yerkes July 3 1-, 1936 A2,713,683 Krieger fIuly 26, 15955 Y FOREIGN PATENTS f 478,374 Great Britain Ian. 18,1938 40 Y Netherlands Apr, 16 194s 

